Word on the Street: Adam Kinzinger for governor? It could make sense

Talk to any batch of Republicans around here for very long, and the discussion invariably turns to the slight dismay — sometimes more — over the choices for the gubernatorial nomination next year. If only there were someone else running, many have said publicly and privately. ...

Talk to any batch of Republicans around here for very long, and the discussion invariably turns to the slight dismay — sometimes more — over the choices for the gubernatorial nomination next year.

If only there were someone else running, many have said publicly and privately.

Well, there may be.

Last week, calls went out to voters elsewhere in the state inquiring about the support for Rep. Adam Kinzinger possibly making a bid for the governor’s mansion.

The Channahon Republican’s camp has been quiet about the calls — which, we’d stress, do not definitely come from them. In fact, a spokesperson with his campaign operation didn’t even return a phone call from us.

But, closed lips or not, it got us thinking here. The prospects of a Kinzinger bid would seem to be good just based on the evidence. Consider:

The 35-year-old is in his second term in Congress, and has built a strong conservative record. But he’s done it with a rhetoric that hasn’t turned off moderates. He’s been positive and constructive in any of our conversations with him, and has made rebuilding the GOP brand in Illinois a priority.

He has downstate ties — grew up in Bloomington, went to Illinois State University, served on the McLean County Board starting while he was in college — but now lives in the Chicago suburbs. Having represented two districts — thanks to the political maps being redrawn — he’s a familiar face in about 20 counties, mainly downstate. Locally, he’s served us in Woodford, Stark, Bureau and Putnam counties.

But those districts have also gotten to the edge of the Chicago media market, so he’s known there. (He’s also familiar with those in the Rockford, Peoria-Bloomington and Champaign TV markets.)

His personal narrative is compelling, too. He left government service to enlist in the U.S. Air Force after 9/11, served multiple tours of duty in Iraq. To this day, he does service for the Air National Guard. He’s young, photogenic, well-spoken and got great press in 2006 — before returning to politics — for disarming a knife-wielding man who attacked a woman on a Milwaukee street.

Politically, he’s well-regarded for retaking a seat held by one-term Democratic Rep. Debbie Halvorson and has quietly built up credibility on military issues — as well as on business and commerce — in the House.

He doesn’t have a huge fund-raising advantage, but has proven popularity in campaigns and could raise funds if needed. Jumping in now would be significantly later than for the other candidates — Bruce Rauner, Kirk Dillard, Dan Rutherford and Bill Brady — but with the dissatisfaction most seem to have with that field, a late start is hardly fatal.

Petitions for the governor’s race can be circulated starting this week, and it’ll be interesting to see if Kinzinger takes the plunge. (C.K.)

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Township talk

Joe Whalen says Peoria Township operations are an open book. Chuck Grayeb says it’s probably better not to close the book on that aspect of local government.

A League of Women Voters forum last week elicited some tough questioning of Whalen, the township supervisor, and other officials. Some league members believe the township spends too much in support of one of its main functions, providing financial assistance for qualified residents.

The forum revealed a confusing budget process and raised questions among league members about whether township government in Peoria is necessary.

Whalen attributed the confusion to state laws that govern how townships are administrated. He also said he and his co-workers are willing to explain it.

“The door is wide open for anybody that wants to walk in,” said the 20-year supervisor, a Republican who in April won re-election. “People have gone through our books. It’s just open. But I understand where the different programs can become very confusing. They’ve been in place for years and years and years.”

Geography might add to the confusion. Most of Peoria lies within Peoria Township, but not all of it. Some parts of the city are located in Kickapoo, Medina and Radnor townships, among other areas.

In rural regions, townships provide one of the only governmental structures, if not the only one, in their domain. In Peoria County, Millbrook and Rosefield townships come to mind.

That’s hardly the case in the county’s largest city, however.

Incorporation of township functions into city government intrigued more than one forum participent. But 2nd District City Councilman Chuck Grayeb, the city-township liaison, isn’t sure that’s a good idea.

Accountability is among his concerns. The primary officials in a township are elected.

“Bureaucrats aren’t necessarily unresponsive, but if you have an elected official who at least can account for that office,” Grayeb said. “It does allow us to get away from the apparatchik who is not necessarily responsive directly to the public the way these folks are.

“I wouldn’t want to see us go in that direction. But if can be done more efficiently or effectively, I’m open to it.” (N.V.)

Paging Nancy Pelosi?

The new economic development group in town, Focus Forward Central Illinois, is preparing to become a freestanding entity. As part of doing so, members of the Policy Steering Committee — right now operating very, very loosely under the aegis of the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission — met again recently to discuss matters including that transition.

During the meeting there was a motion made to move the entity into a new status as a not-for-profit body. At least one member of the group, Tri-County chairman Larry Whitaker, wasn’t comfortable voting for a blanket motion without seeing a transition plan. Others said that this was a necessary first step before coming up with a transition plan, and that if the committee supported the motion they would then get to see a transition plan later.

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That topic came up again at Thursday’s meeting of Tri-County, and I was again reminded of how much the whole thing sounds like Nancy Pelosi’s famous “but we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what’s in it” quote, no?

By the way Whitaker is still waiting — as many of us are — to actually see that plan. (C.K.)